Russian Invasion of Ukraine Megathread

[naffatune]

Full video of Russian Kaliber missiles flying towards Lvov, I think (link)

Smoke rises up after the Lvov airstrikes (link)

MRL goes nuts in Trostyanets (link)

 

[Spicey McHaggis]

Let's have a little "what if" here, let's say something happens and putin is gone. Is it more likely that someone actually "worse" than Putin takes over? Who would likely fill that void? I have no real idea, i don't know much at all about russia. Isn't someone pulled into that power vacuum bound to be a bit more hostile towards the west, believing that putin was assassinated (doesn't matter if he was or not for the first few weeks/months in power). Wouldn't anyone less hardline against the west than Putin be seen as some puppet installed by the west and likely to be overthrown in short order?
Wouldn't putin dying be sort of a rally cry for Russia to gather around. I know all the polls (yeah, polls in russia are mostly bullshit, i get it) have seemed to have a pretty good approval rating of Putin.

I guess what i'm asking, isn't the devil you know always gonna be better?

I have a feeling that if the Russians feel that it was the west leading to putins removal they may end up putting an ultranationalist type in power. Honestly though, who really knows, Russian power transfers get kind of weird sometimes. I do agree that putin leaving could end up with a worse leader taking his place. Worse for who depends on your perspective.

 

[Sammich]

It's a God-given proverb, so yes.

Yeah, i sort of answered my own question there, heh. I never claimed to be very smart!

 

[The Last Boyscout]

View attachment 3111450
Damage control initiated!
Let's hope russia is smart enough to realize that this is just potato joe's having a senile grandpa brain fart moment (hopefully)

to quote his previous outburst: "That was a joke! CLAP! CLAP YOU MORONS!!!"

 

[Spicey McHaggis]

Full Russian tank team survived getting hit seemingly unscathed.
View attachment 3111479

@Narcotics it was posted a couple of pages ago.

Hot damn, those guys are fucking lucky. You can hear the relief in their voices, even if you can't understand what they're saying. Bet they're gonna go stop a church quick.

 

[Hell on Earth]

Let's have a little "what if" here, let's say something happens and putin is gone. Is it more likely that someone actually "worse" than Putin takes over? Who would likely fill that void? I have no real idea, i don't know much at all about russia. Isn't someone pulled into that power vacuum bound to be a bit more hostile towards the west, believing that putin was assassinated (doesn't matter if he was or not for the first few weeks/months in power). Wouldn't anyone less hardline against the west than Putin be seen as some puppet installed by the west and likely to be overthrown in short order?
Wouldn't putin dying be sort of a rally cry for Russia to gather around. I know all the polls (yeah, polls in russia are mostly bullshit, i get it) have seemed to have a pretty good approval rating of Putin.

I guess what i'm asking, isn't the devil you know always gonna be better?

Many people consider Russia's last competent leader will be Putin.

I can see why many think that because Russia is run by a kleptocratic system and that sort of system doesn't yield good rulers.

 

[Disheveled Human]

Well im a moral fag because i think it was the guiding factor in people appreciating america. Land of the free, land of opportunity. Im not jingoistic about my country, but i am a patriot.

If there weren't a necessity i don't believe Putin would be doing any of the things he is doing, but that's because we can both understand that fuckery is afoot in Ukraine and the people suffering aren't the ones pulling the strings. Hence we need moralfagging to have a worthwhile position at all.

If the wests corruption is so bad and oppressive to the Ukrainian people why are they fighting tooth and nail instead of abdicating to the Russians as if they are liberators?

 

[Montalbane]

For those who think we are doing fine as a system.

We just aren't.
We're just pushing the can down the road now.
My neck of the woods likes to crow about freedom and democracy but most of our elections have been overturned to "technical governments" aka fuck you pleb,we rule you obey and pay.

And capitalism is probably the best economic system ever but its been turned into another elitist crony mess we cant really take advantage of as normal people.

And this is the issue,this is a war that normal,everyday people don't want so you have to come up with the atrocities,the denazification,the protection of sacred ukrainian democracy.

But I think most people are not buying it and it will turn fucking ugly.

Thankfully I have invested in crypto and will uber food during the shortages.

 

[SneedEyeMitch]

Worse for who depends on your perspective.

Another Yeltsin will be bad for everyone as it would be just a speed bump to the ultranationalist. Might as well skip to the ultranationalist.

 

[Spicey McHaggis]

Another Yeltsin will be bad for everyone as it would be just a speed bump to the ultranationalist. Might as well skip to the ultranationalist.

Or worse, you end up with a Stalin type who's bad for the west AND the Russian people.

 

[Kane Lives]

Many people consider Russia's last competent leader will be Putin.

I can see why many think that because Russia is run by a kleptocratic system and that sort of system doesn't yield good rulers.

I hold it very likely that Russia will likely crumble into a dysfunctional state after Putin's passing, and may even break up into its constituent republics ala Yugoslavia if it gets bad enough. Any good leader can only emerge after the dust settles, or possibly formed during that period of intense strife. But yeah, it'd be another bleak decade for Russians.

EDIT: This is also why I'm confused on all the saber-rattling being done by the West. Simply waiting twenty years more would be enough to hang Russia on their own rope of their export oriented economy and rampant corruption. If one were indeed interested in influencing and (re)integrating Russia, that would be the best time to do so.

 

[JosephStalin]

I bet the US military is following that fight very closely. For the last several years, they've been warning that wars in the future will most likely be taking place in dense urban environments, so this will be very helpful to see what does and doesn't work well.

Assure all and sundry here that militaries and intelligence services all over are intensely following every aspect possible of this entire war, nothing too small not to thoroughly check out. You can bet that captured Russian electronic warfare van is in US hands, being scrutinized as we speak by US/Allied intelligence. Bet people in certain countries were jumping on planes to the USA as soon as that thing left Ukraine. We did the same thing nearly 50 years ago with the Mig-25 Belenko flew to Japan. Japanese wouldn't let us take it back to the USA so we (all sorts of we) took it apart in Japan, studied it, and shipped it back to the USSR in crates.

Intense urban combat sucks up troops/equipment in huge amounts. Should the Russians take all of Mariupol, very much question if they'd be able to afford taking the other big cities they threaten without a large-scale mobilization.

Have seen accounts of Ukes pushing Russians back from the Kyiv/Kharkiv areas. Russians simply don't have the resources to take these places. Concentrated in Mariupol since it's near Russian-controlled territory.

@Smity Werbenjagermanjensen - Yup, plan was a quick decapitation strike, over within a week max. Russians planned to fight 2014 again. Planning to fight the last war happens a lot, often with bad results. Russians having huge problems adjusting to reality on the ground. Was appalled to learn of such shit logistics, and rather surprised to see the large number of colonel/general officer casualties, especially for such a short-duration campaign.

 

[Arc]

I hold it very likely that Russia will likely crumble into a dysfunctional state after Putin's passing, and may even break up into its constituent republics ala Yugoslavia if it gets bad enough. Any good leader can only emerge after the dust settles, or possibly formed during that period of intense strife. But yeah, it'd be another bleak decade for Russians.

EDIT: This is also why I'm confused on all the saber-rattling being done by the West. Simply waiting twenty years more would be enough to hang Russia on their own rope of their export oriented economy and rampant corruption. If one were indeed interested in influencing and (re)integrating Russia, that would be the best time to do so.

Putin is 69 (niice) the west doesn't even need to wait 20 years for this potential opportunity. Edit:The irony now after all of this "we godda assasinaade Putler" shit is when Putin dies of natural causes like 80% of russians are probably gonna believe that maybe the west had done it, and will not trust them. All cos Biden and Lindsey Ellis Graham couldn't stop sperging.

 

[Drag-on Knight 91873]

Let's have a little "what if" here, let's say something happens and putin is gone. Is it more likely that someone actually "worse" than Putin takes over? Who would likely fill that void? I have no real idea, i don't know much at all about russia. Isn't someone pulled into that power vacuum bound to be a bit more hostile towards the west, believing that putin was assassinated (doesn't matter if he was or not for the first few weeks/months in power). Wouldn't anyone less hardline against the west than Putin be seen as some puppet installed by the west and likely to be overthrown in short order?
Wouldn't putin dying be sort of a rally cry for Russia to gather around. I know all the polls (yeah, polls in russia are mostly bullshit, i get it) have seemed to have a pretty good approval rating of Putin.

I guess what i'm asking, isn't the devil you know always gonna be better?

And what about Putin going into some bunker, and playing up the idea that he is dead, as a way to smoke out any real usurpers be a good idea?

Biden is fucking retarded for even mentioning this stupid shit.

The geopolitical realities of a pseudo-NATO state capable of attacking them and the sanctions placed upon the country exist even after Putin's death. So, if I were a Russian Oligarch or General, I still have to consider whether Putin's removal would actually not make things worse. Right now, Russia is attacking, but what would be worse is if the war effort collapses and Russia has to defend itself from counter-invasion.

If the West really wanted regime change and not just wish for it, it would offer removing the sanctions to their favored candidate. Even then, it probably wouldn't work because that requires trusting the US's word and they're well aware of the difference between being America's enemy and America's friend. Putin is in general danger, but it's Zelinsky that constantly prostrates himself for aid.

 

[JosephStalin]

Or worse, you end up with a Stalin type who's bad for the west AND the Russian people.

Hey, I can go over there and take care of things.

 

[Borscht]

Hey, I can go over there and take care of things.

You have my vote. Your posts on KF give me a better insight in your way of thinking than any of the local politicians' empty platitudes reveal theirs.

 

[Spicey McHaggis]

Putin is 69 (niice) the west doesn't even need to wait 20 years for this potential opportunity.

Given that both of his parents lived to nearly 90, the west actually might need to wait that long.

 

[Montalbane]

Pictured above: Russia's next god emperor preparing for battle against the soulless canadians.

 

[Arc]

Given that both of his parents lived to nearly 90, the west actually might need to wait that long.

Yeah, but like he'd be a potato retard like Biden if he goes that route probably.

 

[Borscht]

Lol, Biden said the American sanctions "threw Russia back to XIX century".

Dude. DUDE. Russia's borders in XIX century included fucking Poland in the west and Finland in the North and Ukraine was not even a thing. ARE YOU SURE THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT?!